But, with all of the failure-prone components in traditional PCs like fans and hard drives, plus all the time it takes to keep the operating system up-to-date, the PC-centric period is winding down.
With the adoption of technologies like terminal services, virtualization, virtual desktop interface (VDI) and the like, a shift has begun to replace the traditional PC with a modern diskless, fan-less thin clients—no hard drives, no storage space and no programs to upload or update, in many cases not even a resident operating system. Most major suppliers now supply “thin-PC” hardware.
瘦客户端计算机可轻松维护计算机服务，以急剧降低总体拥有成本。它以较低的成本提供了大大提高的生产力，消除了非工作相关的计算机使用情况而不会损害可管理性。复杂性移动到数据中心，这大大降低了它成本并大大提高了可靠性和安全性。
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Today’s plant managers and automation engineers must manage all the devices and applications that are distributed everywhere. They need a software platform that can manage real and virtual resources and allow applications to be easily distributed to the right person, at the right location, at the right time. With thin-clients, that is exactly what ThinManager does.
The developer of this groundbreaking software is fast-growingAutomation Control Products (ACP)(www.thinmanager.com),位于市郊区,Ga。该公司将继续introduce a series of exciting new features and functions in response to enthusiastic end-user demands. ThinManager 6.0, the latest release, includes a new iTMC app that turns an iPad into a true thin client. A USB to VGA adapter allows an additional monitor to be used via the USB port of a thin client. XManage service allows a secure connection to any ThinServer over the Internet.
Using ThinManager, plant operators and management personnel can see what any system is doing, not just near the machine or system, or from the control room, but also from any location. Information and displays can be accessed from anywhere with thin-clients, and also with smart-phones or tablets. Secure Internet access allows review and management of systems from locations many miles or time zones away.
Enhanced Security
Stuxnet and related industrial-system security problems has made everyone aware that multiple access points through non-secure interfaces like USB ports, SD card slots and CD/DVD drives can be serious problems. Most thin-clients have no CD/DVD drives, though some might have USB slots. By default, ThinManager disables all USB ports on the thin clients that it manages. This alone prevents introduction of any external worms or virus.
当然，即使在瘦客户端环境中，完整的桌面计算机访问确实会创建安全问题。但是，ThinManager可以配置为仅提供用户需要执行特定作业的授权应用程序。只有授权用户可以访问特定的应用程序，并锁定未经授权的用户。
What about the possibility that a user can acquire another user’s credentials? This is avoided by attaching a simple IP camera to every client and every process. Overlay of camera feeds on a screen provides real-time visibility of user access and live processes. Actually seeing who is logged into a specific terminal allows the ability to prevent damage. Indeed, this is the ultimate defense against rogue system access.
我一直在宣称工业自动化逾期革命。也许ACP ThinManager是新的和令人兴奋的范式的前兆，它将带来这样的转型。
>> Jim Pinto is a technology futurist, international speaker and automation industry commentator. You can email him atjim@jimpinto.com或审查他的网站预测和预测：www.jimpinto.com。
